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Illegal fireworks seized by the Kings County Fire Department are displayed.

From left is a legal firework, on the right, one that is illegal.

Illegal fireworks seized by the Kings County Fire Department are displayed.

From left is a legal firework, on the right, one that is illegal.

Calls about illegal fireworks were up slightly over the holiday weekend compared to 2021, according to Hanford Police.

The department received 759 calls for service, of which 132 were for illegal fireworks. In 2021, police received 113 calls about illegal fireworks, according to police officials.

The Lemoore Police Department reported that of the 61 fireworks calls that were received, 11 resulted in illegal fireworks citations. In Corcoran, the calls about fireworks reached 40 with five calls about fire and six citations for possession of illegal fireworks. 

According to the Kings County Fire Department, on July 4, there were 34 calls for service. Of those calls for service 19 were for fires and 14 of those fires are believed to be caused by fireworks.

"There is a reason these fireworks are illegal. We aren't trying to ruin anyone's fun, but you have to have fun safely," said Aaron Parreira, the fire marshal for Kings County. 

"Apart from being serious fire hazards, these illegal fireworks are dangerous and can cause horrible injuries or even death. Most of them shoot up into the air, and what goes up will come down, often nowhere near where you expected it to," Parreira said. "The most common injury we see from fire works are burns to the hands. Usually from when a person is lighting a firework or even holding a lit firework."

He noted that mortars use tubes that pose hazards because the firework can get stuck inside the tube and explode, causing shrapnel and injuries.

"If I had to pick one of the most dangerous fire hazards from the list of illegal fireworks, it would be bottle rockets," Perreira said.

According to Perreira, once illegal fireworks are seized, they are catalogued and packaged for the State Fire Marshal to dispose of.

According to the Cal Fire fireworks safety website, illegal fireworks are "fireworks that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner." Sky rockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells, and firecrackers are listed as the most common illegal fireworks on the website. 

In 2021, 916 fires caused by fireworks resulted in over $3.2 million in damage to properties around the state according to Cal Fire. 

"They pose a significant fire risk and California is very dry, especially this time of the year," said Perreira.

According to weddingdaysparklers.com, a sparklers retailer, the average temperature for the most innocuous firework can reach 3000 degrees fahrenheit.

"If you are burned call 911 or get to the nearest hospital. Don't put butter, mustard or anything like that on a burn. If anything, simple water to cool a burn is all you should do prior to seeking medical attention," Parreira said.

Ben Wiele, operations manager of the Kings County American Ambulance medical transportation service, said the numbers of calls received this year was down significantly.

“It was the slowest it’s been since 2018, thankfully, definitely slower than average for this holiday,” Wiele said.

Makenzie Rankin is a general assignment reporter for the Hanford Sentinel. If you would like to talk to Makenzie about a story idea, contact her at mrankin@hanfordsentinel.com.

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